Aside

Dr Michael Noetel

Contact Info

Skills

Academic metrics

h-index: 24
Publications: 47
Citations: 1958
Last updated: 04 Apr 2025
via Scopus

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Michael Noetel, PhD

Academic and High Performance Psychologist

With my work, I want to do the most good that I can. Through my career, I want to help others do the same. For those who want to improve the world, I provide the knowledge and skills so they can do it best. I use methods like systematic reviews and meta-analyses to try and figure out the best approach to problems. Then I use online educational interventions to deploy those approaches cost-effectively, at scale. I use theory and evidence to make those interventions compelling, time-efficient, and effective.

Summary of Teaching

I use evidence-informed decision-making both in the content of what I teach and in the process of how I teach. I teach students how to think critically using evidence, and I build professional skills supported by systematic reviews. I use the same philosophy in my own teaching, using pedagogical approaches supported by top level evidence. I lead others to follow this approach, both through collaborations and coaching programs I established.

Leadership

  • Led or mentored lead for 6 university teaching development grants (totalling $134,750)
  • Co-founded INSPIRE, a world-first evidence-centre for learning and teaching in universities. We create, curate, and disseminate evidence for what works in higher ed.
  • Program director (Academic) for the Master of Psychology Program since 2023.

Accolades

  • Received 9 awards for teaching including an AAUT, a SFHEA, and a VC’s Award
  • Average student evaluations of learning and teaching of 4.8 / 5 after 2,390 students

Summary of Research

I have research experience on large projects with many stakeholders, complex issues, and international research teams. To meet those challenges, I use best-in-class research management processes to do rigorous, impactful, and reproducible work (e.g., Asana, Agile research, Scrum). I use my subject matter expertise in leadership and high performance psychology to help my teams to do high-performance research.

Grants

  • Chief investigator on $3,694,120 of competitive Category 1 grants
  • Average yearly grant income over 3x higher than the sector weighted benchmark
  • Grant collaborators at University of Oxford, University of British Columbia, University of Helsinki, University of Birmingham, Northeastern University, & University of Otago

Publications

Impact & Engagement

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology)

Institute for Positive Psychology and Education
Australian Catholic University

North Sydney, NSW

2019

Masters of Applied Psychology (Sport and Exercise)

The University of Queensland

St Lucia, QLD

2010

Bachelor of Science (Advanced, Honours)

Double Major: Psychology; Computational Science
University of Sydney

Camperdown, NSW

2008

Academic Experience

Associate Professor - Teaching and Research

School of Psychology
The University of Queensland

St Lucia, QLD

Present - 2025

Senior Lecturer - Teaching and Research

School of Psychology
The University of Queensland

St Lucia, QLD

2024 - 2022

Accreditations

Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)

AdvanceHE

N/A

Present - 2020

Endorsed Sport and Exercise Psychologist

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

N/A

Present - 2014

Board Approved Supervisor

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

N/A

Present - 2015

Awards

Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching

Australian Catholic University

N/A

2021

Vice-Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award: Excellence in Research & Research Partnership

Australian Catholic University

N/A

2021

iPLAY Team

Faculty of Health Sciences Employee Values Award

Australian Catholic University

N/A

2021

Excellence and Innovation in Public Health Education and Research (Team Award)

Council of Academic Public Health Institutions Australasia

N/A

2021

iPLAY Team

Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

Australian Awards for University Teaching

N/A

2020

Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

Australian Catholic University

N/A

2019

Top Publications

Noetel M., et al. (2022). Multimedia Design for Learning: An Overview of Reviews With Meta-Meta-Analysis. Review of Educational Research

— 67 citations

N/A

2022

Noetel M., et al. (2021). Video Improves Learning in Higher Education: A Systematic Review. Review of Educational Research

— 175 citations

N/A

2021

Vella S.A., et al. (2021). An Intervention for Mental Health Literacy and Resilience in Organized Sports. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise

— 78 citations

N/A

2021

Noetel M., et al. (2019). Mindfulness and acceptance approaches to sporting performance enhancement: a systematic review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology

— 151 citations

N/A

2019

Valkenborghs S.R., et al. (2019). The impact of physical activity on brain structure and function in youth: A systematic review. Pediatrics

— 128 citations

N/A

2019

Sanders T., et al. (2019). Type of screen time moderates effects on outcomes in 4013 children: Evidence from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

— 102 citations

N/A

2019

Beetham K.S., et al. (2019). The effects of vigorous intensity exercise in the third trimester of pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

— 99 citations

N/A

2019

Media coverage

I’ve worked to get my research out into the public to change practice. For example, I was invited on national primetime TV for my paper in Nature Human Behaviour.

Exercise for depression

CNN, The Times, BBC, Good Morning America, The Australian, The Conversation, ABC Radio National, Triple J, Triple M, Hit Radio and more

N/A

2024

Effective altruism

ABC Religion & Ethics, ABC Radio National, 2GB, ABC Radio Canberra, ABC Radio Hobart

N/A

2021

Videos in higher education

Forbes, The Conversation, and others, see Altmetric

N/A

2020

Top Research Grants

Promotion of evidence-based physical activity for older adults and people with disabilities by health professionals

National Health and Medical Research Council (PRC1: 2011157; $1,440,375)

N/A

2025 - 2022

Effectiveness and cost effectiveness of a time-efficient school-based physical activity intervention for adolescents living with disability

Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF: 2007095; $736,399)

N/A

2023 - 2021

Square eyes or all lies? Understanding children’s exposure to screens

Australian Research Council Discovery Project (Ref: DP200101912; $658,544)

N/A

2023 - 2020

PLAY for Inclusion — Teachers working with children with intellectual disability

Move It AUS - Participation Grants Program (Ref: PAR006502018; $268,802)

N/A

2020 - 2019

Engaging students during the early years of secondary school (iTEACH Project)

Australian Research Council Discovery Project (Ref: DP160102625; $590,000)

N/A

2020 - 2016

Engagement

Australian Institute of Sport

National Quality Assurance Steering Committee

N/A

2022 - 2021

Australian Psychological Society (APS)

College of Sport and Exercise Psychologists (CSEP)

N/A

2021 - 2015

— National Treasurer: 2015-2017; 2019-2021
— NSW Chair: 2015-2017
— QLD Chair: 2019-2021

Effective Altruism Australia

Director and Chairperson

N/A

Present - 2021

Effective Altruism Global x Australasia Conference

Organising Committee

N/A

Present - 2023